Bottle cap seal



Jan. 14, 1941. w, VOLKMANN I 2,228,542

' BOTTLE CAP SEAL Filed May 26, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 14, 1941. I w. .1. VOLKMANN 2,228,542

BOTTLE CAP SEAL Filed May 26, 1937 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J5 85 I} J fide; for.

Jan. 14, 1941. w. J. VOLKMANN 2,228,542

BOTTLE CAP SEAL Filed May 26, 19:! 5 Sheet-Sheet 5 I J4 J7 59 r 5 J Z H1L Patented Jan. 14, 1941 1 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE BOTTLE cAP SEAL Walter J. Volkmann, Chicago, Ill. Application May 26, 1937, SerialNo. 144,887

7 Claims. (01. 215-83) This invention relates to bottle cap seals and The bottle shown in the drawings, as illushas for its object to provide a seal which cannot trative of one practical application of the invenbe broken or removed to permit emptying the tion, may be made of glass or other suitable macontents of the bottle without leaving a part of terial and is of the conventional fiat liquor flask the seal permanently embedded in the wall of the type comprising the main body I which tapers at 5 neck of the bottle and without possibility of reits upper portion into the neck 2. As shown, sealing, thereby providing an inescapable tellthe neck 2 of the bottle is preferably formed tale of opening the bottle and thus tending to presmooth and uninterrupted in contour, and subvent tampering with its contents or refilling of stantially cylindrical in its upper portion where the bottle. the seal is applied.

In the drawings: In accord with the invention, the neck wall 3 Figure 1 is a vertical front sectional elevation is provided with a sealing ring member at the of a bottle of a conventional liquor flask type, time the bottle is molded. This sealing ring provided with a cap seal constructed.- in accordmember is formed of metal, preferably of sheet ance with the invention. metal having substantially the same coefiicient 15 Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bottle shown in of expansion as the glass ofwhich the bottle is Fig. 1. formed, and of proper composition to withstand Fig. 3 is a side elevation of said bottle. the heat developed in the wall of the bottle dur- Fig. 4 is a view showing the sealing ring meming the molding operation. A sealing ring memher, hereinafter more fully described, in plan. ber constituted of a complete ring 4 is shown in 20 Fig; 5 is a horizontal sectional plan view taken Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, in which the ring may be on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. formed from a flat sheet metal blank 5, shown in F 6 s a p p e w Showing t Sealing Figure 4, of the required gauge or thickness and r member ready for incorporation in the n punched or stamped out to provide the main body of a bottle. 6 of the ring and. the transverse or laterally pro- 25 Fig. 7 1s a plan view of a modified form of sealjecting portions 1, wh th mank i r d 111g llng memberinto ring form, these projections are circumfer- 3 is a View Similar to but showing entially-spaced preferably at diametrically oppoan alternative means for connecting any of the t t on the ring and bent outwardly so as forms of the Sealing ring member to the bottle to project laterally from these point cap. proper stage in the manufacture of the bottle, F a hollzontfiifl Sectlonal plan Vlew taken for example during the formation of the neck, the on t 11118 0f sealing ring is pre-molded, that is to say, per- F 10 is fragmentary horizontal Sectional manently embedded circumferentially within the plan view taken on the line l0l0 of Fig. 8. 5

. glass wall of the neck wlth the integral circumg g gxg gf vlew' of modlfied form ferentially-spaced portions 1 protruding laterally,

Fig 12 is a plan view showing a perforate sealas Shown in Figures 2 and thrPugh the outer mg ring member of the type Shown in F1 g 1L surface of said wall. The embedding of the ring Fig. 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view m the wall of the bottle neck may be accom' 40 plished by suspending the ring in that part of the mold in which the neck is formed and allowing the molten glass to flow on and cover both sides Fig 14 is a plain View Showing an imperfomte of the ring. If desired, the flow of the glass may 1m in member of the t 6 Shown in F1 11 be facilitated by stamping the ring with a longisea g r s W g 45 Fig 15 is a View similar to Fig 1, but showing tudinal perforation or slot 8, as shown in Figure 7.

a further modified form of the sealing ring mem- In Figures 10, 12 and 14, inclusive" the sealof the neck portion of a bottle showing a further alternative means for connecting the sealing ring member to the bottle cap.

ber. ing ring member which is embedded in the wall of Fig. 16 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional the bottle is of half-Ting form gu e 14 Shows plan i t k on th i of Fig 15 an imperforate blank in from which the half 50 Fig 17 i plan vi of a imperforate ring ring may be curved with the lateral projections member of the form shown in Fig. 15. I I I spaced circumferentially similarly to the pro- Fig. 18 is a perspective of the same. jections 1 of the full-ring form and projecting Fig. 19 is aplan view of a perforate ring memthrough the outer surface of the neck in the same her of the form shown in Fig. 15. manner, as shown in Figure 10; Figure 12 shows; g5

method an adaptation of the half-ring form to a perforate sealing member and for this purpose is stamped with the longitudinal slot H.

The neck 2 of a bottle, provided with an embedded sealing ring member, as above described, with the lateral projections l or l is thus equipped for permanent, non-resealable connection to capping means separately applied to the bottle neck after the bottle is filled. For this purpose, I prefer to employ a combined metal cap and cork. The cap it shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises an upper cap portion or top H! of circular form to fit over the bottle mouth and having an integral depending cylindrical skirt l5 which embraces the upper portion of the bottle neck. At its bottom edge, the skirt I5 is formed with integral circumferentially-spaced laterally-projecting tabs 16 which correspond to and overlie the projections 1 of the sealing ring member, when the cap is applied to the bottle. After capping the bottle, the permanent, non-resealable connection between the cap tabs It and the sealing ring projections I may be accomplished by any suitable or means as by spot-welding the lapped parts. The cork comprises an upper portion ll of relatively greater diameter to fit within and be held by the cap top H, and a lower depending portion ii! of relatively reduced diameter to enter and stopper the bottle mouth. The stoppering portion of the cork is preferably tapered downwardly to permit easy turning of the cap and cork relatively to the bottleneck.

In Figures 8 and 9, the lower edge of the cap skirt i5 is provided with an encircling flange l9 and, when the cap is applied, the under-lying portions i l of the ring member 9 may be rolled over the cap flange, to provide the permanent, nonresealable connection. Figure 13 shows a further alternative form of connection, in which the cap tabs l6, similar to those of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, are connected to the underlying ring portions H by eyelet fastenings 28 of well-known design.

Whatever the form of the cap, the seal may be broken by twisting the cap and cork on the bottle neck. This operation results in tearing the projections l or II of the sealing ring member away from the bottle neck at the points where they protrude, while leaving the main body of the sealing ring permanently embedded in the bottle neck, thus providing a certain indication of opening the bottle and preventing counterfeit re-sealing. In order to insure the severing or breaking of the tabs or projections adjacent to the neck of the bottle, they may be scored or notched in any wellknown manner at such points to weaken the same. The tearing operation may be facilitated by forming the cap tabs or flanges of metal of heavier gauge than the ring projections.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 15 to 19 inclusive is especially adapted for use in certain forms of bottle molds. In these figures, the sealing ring member is split transversely at 2| to provide companion ring sections 22 having the laterally-protruding portions 23. The sections are embedded in the wall of the bottle neck in the manner hereinbefore described. Figure 17 shows a split ring section blank 24 of imperforate form; and Figure 19 shows a blank 25 of perforate form having the slot 26.

The invention as hereinbefore described may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim as my invention:

1. A glass bottle seal comprising, a sealing ring member formed of metal having substantially the same coefficient of expansion as the glass of which the bottle is formed and pre-molded within the glass wall of the bottle neck, said ring member being permanently embedded circumferentially within said neck wall and having integral portions which protrude laterally through the outer surface of said wall, a metallic cap fitted over the bottle neck, said cap having a skirt encircling said neck formed with integral laterally-projecting tabs which overlie the projecting portions of said ring member, and means for permanently uniting said cap tabs and ring member projecting portions to provide a sealed engagement of said cap to the glass wall of said bottle neck.

2. A glass bottle seal comprising, a sealing ring member formed of metal having substantially the same coefiicient of expansion as the glass of which the bottle is formed and pre-molded Within the glass wall of the bottle neck, said ring member being permanently embedded circumferentially within said neck wall and having integral portions which protrude laterally through the outer surface of said Wall, a metallic cap fitted over the bottle neck, said cap having a skirt encircling said neck formed with integral flanging which overlies the projecting portions of said ring member, and means for permanently uniting said cap flanging and ring member projecting portions to provide a sealed engagement of said cap to the glass wall of said bottle neck.

3. A glass bottle seal comprising, a sealing ring member formed of metal having substantially the same coeflicient of expansion as the glass of which the bottle is formed and pre-molded within the glass wall of the bottle neck, said ring member being permanently embedded circumferentially within said neck wall and having integral portions which protrude laterally through the outer surface of said wall, and a metallic cap fitted over the bottle neck and permanently united to said ring member projecting portions, said cap being formed of heavier guage metal than said pro jecting portions whereby a twisting movement of said cap effects a destructive removal of said pro jecting portions from the bottle neck.

4. A glass bottle seal comprising, a cap fitted over the bottle neck, said cap having a skirt encircling said neck and rolled flanging formed at the lower edge of said skirt, and a metallic sealing member having a portion, the circumferential dimension of which is not greater than one-half the circumference of the bottle neck, permanently embedded within the glass of said neck wall lengthwise of the longitudinal major section thereof and having an integral extension protruding through the outer surface of said wall to the exterior thereof, said extension being rolled in engagement with the fianging of said cap, to provide a sealed connection between said metallic sealing member and said cap.

5. A glass bottle seal comprising, a cap fitted over the bottle neck, said cap having a skirt encircling said neck and rolled flanging formed at the lower edge of said skirt, individual metallic sealing members pre-molded within the glass wall of the bottle neck, said sealing members being oppositely disposed circumferentially of said wall and. having portions, of which the circumferential dimension of each is not greater than one-half the circumference of the bottle neck, each permanently embedded within said neck wall lengthwise of the longitudinal major section thereof and having an integral extension protruding through the outer surface of said wall to the exterior thereof, the

extensions of said sealing members being individually rolled into permanent connection with the fianging of said cap.

6. A glass bottle seal comprising, a metallic sealing member having a portion, the circumferential dimension of which is not greater than onehalf the circumference of the bottle neck, permanently anchored to the glass wall of said neck lengthwise of the longitudinal major section thereof and having an integral extension protruding exteriorly of said wall, and a cap fitted over the bottle neck, said cap having a skirt encircling said neck and fianging at the lower edge of said skirt rolled into inter-connection with said integral extension to provide a permanent joint between said extension and said cap.

7. A bottle seal for a molded bottle, comprising a metallic sealing member premolded circumferentially Within the neck wall and having integral portions which project laterally beyond the outer surface of the wall, a cap fitted over the bottle neck having a skirt with integral laterally projecting portions which overlie the said projecting portions of the sealing member, and means for permanently uniting the skirt and sealing member projecting portions to provide a sealed engagement of said cap to the wall of the bottle neck.

WALTER J. VOLKMANN. 

